The invention pertains to a crop and longeing whip which are training devices well known to those conversant in the art of horsemanship and more particularly it relates to a combined crop and longeing whip which can be quickly and easily converted from one to the other.
A crop, as is well known, forms an important part of a rider's attire as well as a training device and a motivating device that is utilized either on the ground or in riding position on his mount.
A rider or trainer by simply applying the cracker portion of the crop to selected areas of the mount's body, is capable of conveying commands to said mount which it has been taught through repetitious training to obey. A few of many such commands are those of stretching, turning, proceeding forwardly and backing up.
A longeing whip is also well known in the art and it to serves as a training and motivating device as well as a means for exercising ones mount. Unlike a crop the intended use of a longeing whip is from the ground and in combination with a socalled longe rein or line with one end thereof being attached to the mount's halter or the like and the opposite end either suitably attached to a fixed object or held by the rider or trainer. The longeing whip is manipulated while giving the mount verbal commands by a flick of said longeing whip below the hocks which serves to reinforce these commands. Additionally appropriate movement of the longeing rein during the longeing session is considered a very important factor in this common form of training.
The longeing whip serves, as described above, to reinforce commands and in many instances to actually convey commands which the mount is trained or is being trained to obey.
Riding crops and longeing whips are common and widely used devices that are considered, by those skilled in the art, as required and necessary implements for the proper care and training of horses.
These devices which serve similar functions of command conveying aids but which are utilized in an entirely different manner have always been manufactured and sold as separate items. Both devices cannot be conveniently carried at the same time and it frequently presents what is considered a valuable loss of time and inconvenience during a training session when it is decided or found feasible to exercise those commands associated with the other of the two devices not in use at the time. Additionally, because of the different functions which these devices serve, both types have always been considered a required part of the standard equipment for the care and training of horses.
The purchase price or replacement cost for both such devices is considered by todays standards excessive and in many instances prohibitive due to the types of materials from which they are frequently fabricated as well as time consuming manufacturing steps of braiding and lacing to provide protective coverings to their exterior surfaces.
The combined crop and longeing whip of the present invention provides a very definite advance in the art for it permits a single training device to be quickly and easily converted from one type to another. It also eliminates the need for maintaining two separate training devices as part of the standard care and training equipment and the expense of purchasing or replacing such devices can now be substantially reduced.
A number of United States patents show and describe training devices in the form of riding crops and whips and for reference to the teachings of such disclosures attention is hereby drawn to U.S. Pat. Nos. 918,557 and 1,893,099.